Employment

For all students hoping to work at WOU, you must be authorized to work in the United States.

According to the Department of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), “U.S. citizens, born or naturalized, are always authorized to work in the United States, while foreign citizens may be authorized if they have an immigration status that allows them to work”. Students authorized to work in the US must have a social security card or work authorization from the Social Security Office. If you are unsure of your status, you can use the “self check” provided by USCIS.

• To be eligible to work as a student employee, you must be a current, registered student at Western Oregon University or another academic institution.
• Preference for student positions at WOU will be given to WOU students.
• In addition to being a student, you must be taking six or more credits in order to qualify for student employment.
• Those taking less than six credits due to graduation requirements or because they are taking a term off should speak with their supervisor before continuing work.

Students from other academic institutions must be attending either a high school (and are over the age of 16), a community college or a public/private college or university. Students that fit this category must present documentation from the qualifying institution EACH TERM in order to continue working as a student employee. Documentation could include a course schedule showing six or more credits (nine credits for those on a semester system) or a letter from the academic institution confirming your student status (high school students only).

Non-WOU students taking less than six credits or its semester equivalent are not allowed to work as a student employee under any circumstance. For more information on Student Employment Eligibility see the Student Employment Policy.

This authorization serves as a student’s “key” to student employment on-campus. Students who have not returned this authorization stamp to their supervisor will not be authorized to work. You will fill out the student name and V# portions of this document and must deliver to your supervisor after bringing all of the below forms to Human Resources.

Students will complete this form and obtain a supervisor signature before bringing to Human Resources. This form is required annually and for each position on campus that you are working. **NOTE** Information listed under permanent address will also serve as the location for which a student will receive their W-2. Payroll recommends that students list their parent/guardian’s address in this field to ensure you receive your tax paperwork promptly.

This tax form establishes the withholdings from your paychecks for federal and state income taxes. Students who are unfamiliar with this form or the information contained should speak with a parent/guardian or a tax attorney. Due to the sensitive nature, the Human Resources Office and your supervisor are unable to offer any tax advice including what to put on this form. For more information, please visit the IRS website.

While working at WOU, students are limited to working up to 20 hours per week.

• Students can work up 27 hours per week with approval from the Office of Student Affairs. This approval must be renewed EACH TERM that you wish to work greater than 20 hours.
• Students are required to inform their supervisor(s) of their total work schedule and should monitor their own work hours so as to not exceed the maximum hours allowed.
• International students CAN NOT exceed 20 working hours per week per USCIS.

New employees must be paid within 35 days from the time that you started working per ORS 652.120 (2).

35 day rule checks will be ready by the 10th of the month following WOU’s pay day.

Students working during academic terms are exempt from paying Social Security (6.2% of gross wages) and Medicare (1.42% of gross wages) taxes.

• However, during summer break, IRS guidelines state that students are not eligible for the FICA exemption.

Any activity for which a student receives money paid for work is considered employment, and payment must be made through the Human Resources Office.

Student employees and supervisors must not allow work schedules to interfere with university courses. The WOU administration believes that working while attending WOU can be a valuable part of the total learning experience, however, institutional policy dictates that students shall not work more than 20 hours per week without prior approval.

Foreign students cannot exceed 20 hours per week (during the academic year) per U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations.

New student employees MUST be paid within 35 days from the time they start employment at WOU (ORS 652.120 [2]). If a student begins work with one department and already works for another on-campus, the 35 day rule does not apply provided they have been paid by the other department.

The student employment verification page contains information on the students’ last date paid. If greater than 35 days, the supervisor will need to submit hours to be paid. More information on the 35 day rule.

Students that exceed 40 working hours in a week (Sunday – Saturday) will be paid overtime at one and a half times their normal rate for all hours over 40.

This rule counts for any work across the WOU campus. It is the responsibility of the employing department to know if their students are working hours at another.

All employees who are driving for WOU must be cleared by Campus Public Safety prior to driving both state and personal vehicles. In order to be cleared to drive, employees must fill out the Vehicle Authorization Form.

Employees driving their personal vehicles must also fill out the Private Automobile Certificate of Insurance form (contact Public Safety for details). A new form must be filled out if you change insurance companies while driving for WOU business.

In addition to the Vehicle Authorization Form, employees driving 12 passenger vans must take an additional test. Managed by Oregon State University, the OSU Motor Pool Van Safety Test covers how to safely drive these vans and keep its occupants safe as well. Upon successful completion of the Van Safety test, a copy of the certification must be provided to Campus Public Safety.

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) dictates that a student employer who has worked for WOU for a total of twelve or more months and has worked at least 1,250 hours (~24 hours/week) over the previous twelve months is eligible for twelve weeks of unpaid, job protected leave for certain family and medical reasons.

For more information, contact 503-838-8490 | hr@wou.eduat the Human Resources Office.